Earthquake in southern Philippines
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The Philippines lies between several moving tectonic plates, which makes earthquakes very common. To the east, the Philippine Sea Plate is subducting, or sinking, beneath the islands. To the west, other plates and marginal seas are also pushing and sliding in complicated ways. On top of that, the country is cut by the Philippine Fault, a major strike-slip fault that helps absorb the stress.
This means the region is under constant pressure. When rocks suddenly slip or break, energy is released as an earthquake. That is why the Philippines experiences so many strong quakes…
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